Ejector mechanism for breakdown guns



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

D. M. & 0. IE. LEPEVER. EJEGTOR MECHANISM FOR BREAKDOWN GUNS.

Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

N. mwwl W {INVENTORS & WW1! I 8% 964m %%ww aww WITNESSES ATTORNEYS,

(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

D. M. 817 C. F. LEPEVER. EJEGTOR MECHANISM FOR BREAKDOWN GUNS. No. 536,636. Patented Apr. 2,1895.

INVENTORS hfWmL QM/w ATTORNEYS m: News PETERS co, Pno-rmjmo" WASHINGTON. 0.0

DANIEL M. LEFEVER AND CHARLES F. LEFEVER, OF SYRACUSE, NE\V YORK.

EJECTOR MECHANISM FOR BREAKDOWN GUNS.

-S?EOIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,636, dated April 2, 1895.

Application filed January 13. 189% Serial No. 496,743. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, DANIEL M. LEFEVER and CHARLES F. LEFEVER, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Guns, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in breech-loading guns of the class set forth in Patent No. 525,272, issued August 28, 1894:, to Daniel M. Lefever, and has for its object the production of a simple, practical, and effective device composed of a minimum number of parts which, upon the usual breaking of the gun, automatically cocks the hammer and withdraws the previously fired cartridge shell; and to this end our invention consists, essentially, in a movable extractor for ejecting the shell from the gun barrel, a spring for forcing the extractor to its operative position for ejecting the shell, a stop or sear for normally preventing the action of the spring, the hammer of the gun, and an actuating piece pivoted upon the hammer for forcing the stop or sear from its normal position and permitting the action of the spring.

The invention furthermore consists in a main spring for operating the hammer of the gun and forcing the extractor to its operative position for ejecting the shell, an ejector hammer for operating the extractor interposed between the main spring and the extractor, and a lever for actuating the ejector hammer engaged with the stop or sear, and in the detail construction and arrangement of the parts, all as hereinafter more particularly described and pointed out in the claims.

In describing our invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like letters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of our improved gun having the outer ends of its barrels and stock broken away, and one of its lock plates removed for illustrating the interiorparts. Fig. 2 is a view similarto Fig. 1, the barrels being shown as dropped or broken. Fig. 3'is a longitudinal horizontal sectional View, taken on line 3+3, Fig. 1, the gun barrels being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. L is an elevation of one of the detached extractor sections, a hammer partly broken away, the spring for operating the extractor hammer, the parts for connecting the extractor and hammer, the retractor piece shown in full lines, and the gun barrel and frame illustrated by dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the extractor; Fig.6, an isometric perspective of the rocking lever between the extractor and its actuating spring; and Fig. 7 is a face view of the cooking lever shown as operatively mounted on the hammer pivotal pin, the movable dog secured to the barrel, the stop for said dog, and the rear end of the fore-end piece.

In the aforesaid patent to Daniel M. Lefever, there is shown a gun of somewhat similar construction to that forming the subject matter of our present invention, but the gun illustrated in said aforesaid application requires separate springs and long connections between the same for operating each hammer and for actuating the corresponding extractor section, and also requires a greater number of parts and necessitates more expense for fitting and assembling than were a single spring used as in our present invention for actuating both the hammer of the gun and the corresponding extractor section and long connections between two separate springs entirely obviated.

A represents the gun frame, A the stock, B the fore-end piece, 0 the barrel, and O the barrel log, all of which parts may be of any suitable form, size, and construction.

D is a hammer connected with a lost motion to a pivotal pin 01, which is formed with a feather d movable in a key-way d in the journal opening of the hammer D.

D is a sear pivoted at d andprovided with an arm 61 for engaging a shoulder 61 upon the hammer D and holding the same in its cocked position, and D is a spring for forcing the sear D into operative position.

D is a suitable main spring having one arm engaged with a shoulder (1 upon the hammer for raising the hammer from its cocked position into engagement with the firing pin D as soon as the hammer is disengaged from the sear D.

\Ve have here illustrateda double barreled gun, and, as clearly seen at Fig. 3, a hammer e assets 'is mounted upon each of the opposite ends of the pivotal pin (1.

As will be readily understood by one skilled in the art the hammers are each provided with main springs, sears, &c., cocked simultaneously by rocking the pivotal pin 02 backwardly, and either may operate independently to fire the gun, owing to their peculiar connection to said pivotal pin.

E is a movable dog mounted in a recess 0 in the rear end of the barrel lug C and having its upper end pivoted by a pin e to said barrel lug C, and E is a cooking lever having its rear end connected to the hammer pivotal pin d with a lost motion and its forward end formed with an engaging shoulder e engaged with a corresponding shoulder e upon the lower end of the movable dog E. A suitable spring E bears against the dog E and normally engages its extremity e with the end 6 of the lever E.

The journal opening of the rear end of the cooking lever E is formed with a key-way e Fig. 7, for receiving the feather d of the hammer pivotal pin (1 and permitting of the lost motion between said cocking lever and hammer pivotal pin.

As the forward ends of the barrels are dropped or broken as shown at Fig. 2, the dog E elevates the cocking lever E, and rocks the hammer pivotal pin (1 backwardly, thus cooking the hammers D D against the action of their main springs, and, when the barrels are returned to their normal closed position, the face e of the movable dog E engages the free end of the cooking lever E, and forces said lever downward, and the movable dog E is simultaneously forced within the recess 0 in the barrel lug against the action of the spring until its shoulder e is disengaged from the shoulder e of the lever E, as seen at Fig. 7. F represents the extractor, which is movable lengthwise of the barrels G in a guideway C and consists of two independently movable sections, each being composed of a rodfand a head piece f. The lower faces of the extractor sections are cut away at F, and the upper end of the dog E enters the guide-way C and swings into the space between the lower faces of said extractor sections and guide-way.

A stop E consisting preferably of a sliding bar is mounted in the under face of one of the gun barrels at one side of the barrel lug O, and one extremity thereof is formed with a lateral arm E, which enters the guide-way 0 A suitable spring E tends to force said arm E between the upper end of the dog E and the extractor F when the dog E is in its normal position, for holding the dog E in said position, and permitting removal of the barrels when the fore-end piece is removed. A shoulder B on the fore-end piece bears against the forward end of the stop E and normally forces the same from its operative position, for permitting the spring E to rock the dog E as the barrels are dropped, and

forces its shoulder e into operative engagement with the shoulder e of the lever E. When the fore-end piece is removed, the spring E operates on the stop E to lock the dog E in its inoperative or normal position, and the barrels are then readily removed from the gun frame. I

The described construction of the movable dog secured to the barrel lug, the cooking lever, and the extractor is very similar to that set forth in the aforesaid patent to Daniel M. Lefever, and is particularly applicable for use with our improved extractor operating mechanism, and the automatically operating actuating piece for controlling the action of the extractor operating mechanism, which form the essential features of our presentin- Vention.

G G are independently movable ejector hammers pivoted at g to the barrel lug C and having their upper ends movable in cutoutsf f in the adjacent faces of the extractor sections and their lower ends provided with engaging shoulders g.

H H are independently movable levers interposed between the ejector hammers G G and the main springs (which latter, as previously stated, actuate the hammers D D) for communicating motion from the upper arms of the main springs to the ejector hammers and actuating said ejector hammers to operate the extractor sections for ejecting the cartridge shells.

The levers H H form a particularly simple and practical connection between the springs D D and the ejector hammers G G, and permit of an extremely effective arrangement of said springs and ejector hammers and of the practical movement of the ejector hammers independent of the springs D D as presently described. The ejector hammers G G and the lovers H H also form actuating means between the extractor sections and the springs D D for operating the extractor.

As preferably constructed the levers H H are pivoted to the gun frame A at their intermediate portions by pins h, and are provided at their forward ends with inwardly extending lateral arms h for engaging the shoulders g of the ejector hammers. The opposite ends of the levers H H are engaged by the upper arms of the main springs D I I are scars of any suitable construction pivoted at 2' and provided with shoulders t" for engaging corresponding shoulders 77. upon the rear ends of the levers H H and preventingtheir upward movement, thereby restraining the main springs D from operating the extractor sections and preventing the operation of said extractor sections to the extreme.

limit of their movement.

Each sear I is forced to its operative position by a spring I and in proximity to the scars are movable actuating pieces J J for withdrawing the same from operative position against the action of the springs I. l

The movable actuating pieces J J are pref- IOO erably pivotedat j to the hammers D D, and are provided with engaging ends or shoulders j movable into and out of operative engagement with shoulders t of the scars, and with stop shouldersj for engaging adjacent faces of the hammers and holding said ends 7' in operative position when engaged with the sears as clearly indicated by dotted lines at Fig. 2.

\Vhen in the operation of firing the gun a hammer is elevated to the position illustrated by dotted lines at Fig. 1, the movable actuating piece J carried thereby assumes its position also illustrated at Fig. 1, and is free to pass the shoulder t of the corresponding sear as its engaging end j is readily depressed by said shoulder 2' When desired to cock the hammer and extract the fired shell, the barrels are dropped or broken, as illustrated at Fig. 2, and, as previously described, the movable dog E and the cooking lever E operate to return the elevated hammer D to its normal depressed position into engagement with its sear D, as indicated by full lines at Figs. 1 and 2. As the hammer approach es its depressed position the movable actuating piece carried thereby assumes the position indicated by dotted lines at Fig. 2 and rocks the corresponding sear out of operative position, as illustrated at Fig. 2, and immediately the spring D forcibly rocks the lever H and aetuates the same to operate the corresponding ejector hammer G which, in turn, forces one of the extractor sections from its normal position and ejects the fired shell from the barrel.

A suitable stop shoulder LB secured to the fore-end pieceB is registered with cut-outsf in the adjacent faces of the extractor sections and prevents escape thereof. It is evident, however, to one skilled in the art that, if the hammer has not been elevated in the operation of firing the gun, it is not desirable to actuate the corresponding ejector section, and that, when the barrels are dropped or broken, the corresponding sear for restraining the operation of the extractor will not be rocked from its normal position, and will prevent the operation of the spring for actuating the extractor engaged with the unfired shell. It is frequently advisable, however, upon dropping or breaking the barrels to extract a shell, even though unfired, and substitute a difierent shell as one containing finer or coarser stock, and to facilitate the withdrawal of the shell, it is desirable that the extractor section engaged therewith, shall be forced for a limited distance from its normal position. Our improved invention effects this result, as, when the barrels are dropped or broken, the shoulders g of the ejector hammers engage with the inwardly projecting arms 71. of the levers H H, even though said levers are restrained from movement by the sears I I, and the ejector hammers are thereby rocked a limited distance and operate the extractor sections to partially withdraw the shells for facilitating ready engagement of their rims. The levers H of the extractor operating mechanism also operate as a check for the gun barrels when dropped or broken, since, as clearly illustrated by dotted lines at Figs. 2 and 4, the barrel lug C is formed with a suitable slot or aperture 0 registered with the arms h of said levers and with a shoulder G for engaging the arms or shoulders 71. and limiting the downward or dropping movement of the barrels. This check is particularly simple, practical, and efficient, and, owing to the pressure of the springs D against the levers H, the stoppage of the movement of the gun barrels is unusually easy and free from jar.

K K are retractor pieces movable in guides A in the frame Aand provided at their inner or rear ends with cam shaped shoulders for engaging and elevating the arms 7t of the levers H H to their normal position against the action of the main springs, whereupon the rear ends of the levers H H are engaged by the sears I I, and are held in said elevated position until the sears are withdrawn by the movable actuating pieces J J.

The forward ends of the retractor pieces are provided with shoulders 70 bearing against shoulders I) of the fore-end piece for forcing said retractor pieces backwardly and operating the same to rock the levers H H to their normal position.

The central portions of each retractor piece K are formed with guides or grooves k within which are suitable stops consisting preferably of lengthwisely adjustable pins or screws 70. The outer ends of the pins or screws 70 extend through the outer faces of the gun frame A, and their inner ends are movable into sockets k in the adjacent faces of the retractor pieces, for preventing movement thereof. The levers H are then unable to operate the extractor sections to the extreme limit of their movement for forcing the shells from the gun barrels, and our gun is capable of use when it is not desired to extract the shells as in duck shooting, &c.

The operation of our invention will be readily perceived from the foregoing description and upon reference to theaccompanying drawings, and it will be particularly noted that it is particularly simple, practical, and efiective; and that its parts are few, require a minimum degree of fitting and skill in assembling, and are strong and durable in operation.

The detail construction and arrangement of our improved gun may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of our invention, and hence we do not herein specifically limit ourselves to such detail construction and arrangement.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of a barrel, a movable extractor for ejecting the shell from the barrel, a spring, actuating means interposed between the extractor and IIO the spring and operated by said spring for forcing the extractor to eject the shell, a stop or sear for normally preventing the action of the spring, the hammer of the gun, and an actuating piece pivoted upon the hammer and normal position and thereby permitting the action of the spring, substantially as and for the purpose setlforth.

2. In abreech-loading gun, the combination of a barrel, a frame, a movable extractor for ejecting the shell from the' barrel, connections, substantially as described, between the extractor and theframe of the gun, whereby, as the barrel is dropped, the extractor is moved a limited distancefrom its normal position for partially ejecting the shell, a spring, actuating means interposed between the extractor and the spring and operated by the springfor forcing theextractor to the limit of its movement to eject the shell, said spring being normally restrained from acting upon said actuating means, the hammerof the gun, and an actuating piece pivoted uponthe hammer and interposed between the spring and the hammer for effecting the release of the spring from its restrained position, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

3. In a breech-loadinggun,the combination of a barrel, a frame, a hammer, and connec tions between the barrel and the hammer,

whereby the hammer is cocked asthe barrel is dropped, an extractor for ejecting the shell, said extractor being restrained from extreme movement until after the hammer assumes its normalcocke'd position, and an actuating piecepivoted upon the hammer and interposed between the hammer and the extractor for effecting the release of the extractor from its restrained position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. Inabreech-loading-gun,the combination of a barrel, a movable extractor for ejecting the shell from the barrel, a spring, actuating means interposed between the extractor and the spring and operated by said springfor forcingthe extractor to eject the shell, a stop or sear fornormally preventing the action of the spring, the. hammer of the gun, and an actuating piece pivoted upon the hammerand engaged With' the stop or sear for forcing the stop or sear from its normal position, substantially as described.

5. In abreech loadinggun,thecombination of a barrel, a movable extractor for ejecting the shell from the barrel, a spring, actuating means interposed between the extractor and the spring and operated by said spring for forcing the extractor to eject the shell, astop or sear for normally preventingv the action of the spring, the hammer of the gun, andan actuating piece pivoted upon the hammer and provided with an engaging shoulder movable into and out of operative engagement with the stop or sear and with a stop shoulder for en gaging the adjacent faceof the hammer and holding the engaging shoulder in its operative position for forcing the stop-orsear from its normal position, substantially as specified.

6. Ina breech-loading gun, the combination of a barrel, a movable extractor for ejecting the shell from the barrel, a spring, actuating means interposed between the extractor and the spring and operated by said spring for forcing the extractor to eject the shell, a stop or sear for normally preventing the action of the spring, the hammer of the gun, an actuating piece pivoted uponthe hammer and interposed between the stop or sear and the hammer for forcing the stop or sear from its normal positionand thereby permitting the action of the spring, and a stop for limiting the movement of the extractor, substantially as'and' for the purpose set forth.

7. Ina breech-loading gun, the combination of a barrel,-a movable extractor for ejecting the shell from thebarrel, a'n ejector hammer for actuatingthe extractor to eject the shell, a movable lever for operating the ejector hammer, the hammer of the gun,a spring for actuating said lever, a stop or sear for normally preventing the-action of the spring, and an automatically movableactuating pieceinterposed between thestop or sear'and the hammer of the gun'for forcing the-.stop or sear from its normal position and thereby permitting the action of the spring; substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of a barrel, a movable'extractor for ejecting the shell from the barrel, an ejector hammer for actuatingthe extractor to eject-the-sh'ell, a pivoted lever arranged normally in a plane substantially parallel with the extractor for operating the ejector hammer, a spring for rocking said lever, a stop or sear for normally preventing the action of the spring,-the hammer of the gun, and an actuating piece pivoted upon the hammer and provided with an engaging shoulder movable into and out of operative engagement with the stop or sear and with a stop-shoulder for engaging the ad'- jacent face of the hammer and holding the engaging shoulder in its operative position for forcing the stop or sear fromits normal position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

9. In a breech-loadinggun, the combination of a barrel, a movable extractor for ejecting the shell from the barrel, an ejector hammer for actuating the extractor to eject the shell, a movable lever for operating the ejectorhammer, the hammer of the gun,- a spring for actuating said lever, a stop or sear for normally preventing the action of the spring, an automatically movable actuating piece interposed between the stop or sear and. the hammer of the gun for forcing the stop or sear from its normal position and thereby permitting the action of the spring, and a retractor piece K for forcing said lever to its normal position in engagement with the stop or sear, substantially as described.

10. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of aframe, afore-end piece, a movable extractor for ejecting the shell from the barrel, an ejector hammer for actuating the extractor to eject the shell, a lever movable into engagement with the ejector hammer for operating the same, a spring for rocking said lever, a stop or sear for normally preventing the action of the spring, the hammer of the gun, an automatically movable actuating piece interposed between the stop or sear and the hammer of the gun for forcing the stop or sear from its normal position and thereby permitting the action of the spring, and a movable retractor piece engaged with a foreend piece for forcing said lever to its normal position in engagement with the stop or sear provided with a shoulder engaged with the fore-end piece, whereby the movement of the fore-end piece actuates the retractor piece, substantially as specified.

11. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of a barrel, a fore-end piece, an ejector hammer for actuating the extractor to eject the shell, a movable extractor for ejecting the shell from the barrel, an ejector hammer for actuating the extractor to eject the shell, a lever for operating the ejector hammer, a spring for moving said lever, and a retractor piece for forcing said lever to its normal position provided with a shoulder engaged with the fore-end piece, whereby the movement of the fore-end piece actuates the retractor piece, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. In a breech-loading gun,the combination of the barrel, extractor, fore-end piece, and frame; with a movable dog secured to the barrel and provided with an engaging shoulder, a hammer, a cooking lever having one end connected to the hammer for cooking the same and having its other end provided with a shoulder for engaging the corresponding shoulder of the movable dog, said shoulders of the movable dog and cooking lever being normally forced from operative engagement with each other, a sliding stop for holding the movable dog in its normal position, a spring for forcing said stop to its operative position, and a shoulder on the fore-end piece for forcing said stop from operative position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

13. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of the frame of the gun, a barrel, a barrel lug having a slot or aperture (3 therein and an engaging shoulder G and a spring actuated lever supported by the frame and having an arm or shoulder movable in said slot or aperture into and out of engagement with said shoulder for limiting the movement of the barrel, substantially as and for the purpose described.

14. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of the frame of the gun, a barrel, a barrel lug having a slot or aperture 0 therein and an engaging shoulder 0 an extractor, a spring actuating means interposed between the extractor and the spring and operated by said spring for forcing the extractor to eject the shell, a lever supported by the frame and interposed between said spring and extractor and provided with an arm or shoulder movable in said slot or aperture into and out of engagement with said shoulder for limiting the movement of the barrel, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

15. In a breech-loading gun, the combination of a barrel, an extractor for ejecting the shell, a spring for forcing the extractor to its operative position for ejecting the shell, a retractor piece for returning the spring to its normal position, and a stop for preventing movement of the retractor piece, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 4th day of January, 1894.

DANIEL M. LEFEVER. CHARLES F. LEFEVER.

Witnesses:

CLARK H. NORTON, K. H. THEOBALD. 

